HHS: Insurers need to stop blaming Affordable Care Act

Better healthcare is something most Americans want to be more widely available to everyone on the country. The Affordable Care Act aims to do just that by providing health insurance coverage to more people. While the government will offer programs, such as Medicare, to a broader range of people, health insurance companies are being forced to change as well.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asserts some health insurers are deliberately misinforming enrollees and attributing premium hikes to the Affordable Care Act.

In a letter to America's Health Insurance Plans, Sebelius wrote, "according to our analysis and those of some industry and academic experts, any potential premium impact from the new consumer protections and increased quality provisions under the Affordable Care Act will be minimal. We estimate that that the effect will be no more than one to two percent."

Some health insurance companies have recently tried to increase premiums before the new laws take affect. Earlier this year, a major health insurance company withdrew its request for premium hikes in California after it was determined there was a problem with their math calculations.